Lean on Me I've Got You
by clairenbearen
Summary: Henry goes to visit Maddy in Cincinnati for Christmas. She teaches him how to ice skate. Or, at least, she tries. It's hard to teach a man when he's never even roller skated before.


Maddy laughs when she notices the way her boyfriend stares at his skates. "They're just ice skates, Henry. The blades…well, I guess they _could_ kill a person and by that logic be a murder weapon and also dangerous, but generally speaking, they're just ice skates. You'll be fine."

Henry stares apprehensively at the ice skates in his hand and slowly lowers himself onto the bench where Maddy laces up her skates. "How are you supposed to balance on these?" He looks around him, trying to find a place to set them while he takes off his boots.

Maddy rolls her eyes and tightens her laces. "With practice, Henry. You'll never get anywhere without practice."

"How are you supposed to even put these _on?"_ Now that his boots are off, he awkwardly holds the left skate (at least, he thinks it's the left skate; he's not entirely sure) in his hand and stares around it.

Maddy rolls her eyes again and points to a little girl on the bench across from them. "God, you're such a Cali boy. Watch how she does it. It's just like putting on a shoe."

Henry slowly slips the ice skate onto his foot. "One with a deadly weapon attached to the bottom," he grumbles.

Maddy sighs heavily and stands up. "Well, when you're done, I'll help you out there."

"I still don't know how you deal with cold weather like this, Mad, I mean, really, it's actually freezing out –"

Maddy groans and kneels on the ground. "You put on your other skate. I'll lace this up. I want to get out there."

"You don't need to lace it. I know how to lace these."

Maddy stands. "If you say so." She reaches out and plays with the fringe on Henry's scarf. "You know, scarves really look good on you."

Henry laces his skates tightly. "Oh, you like?"

Maddy smiles and kisses Henry's cheek. "Honestly, you should wear scarves more often."

Henry stands up, still thinking that he's in his boots, and he immediately wobbles on his feet. Maddy reaches out on reflex and grabs his arm, keeping him on his feet. "_Where_ would I wear scarves? It never gets cold enough in Santa Barbara for me to wear these, and even if it _does,_ I have to be in uniform!"

Maddy rolls her eyes and loops her arm through his. "Let me lead, okay? I've walked in skates since I was a little girl."

Henry slowly wobbles after her, and Maddy laughs. "What, did you do figure skating?"

Maddy nods. "Mhm."

Henry does a double take. "Wait, you _did?_ Why did I never know this?"

Maddy smiles and pats his arm. "You never asked. And I figure skated until eighth grade, and then I decided soccer was better."

Henry nods. "I did know that you love soccer." He stops suddenly as soon as he stares out at the ice rink. There aren't a whole lot of people here in comparison to most of the time, but Maddy decides to chalk that up to it being Christmas season and no one having bought their Christmas gifts yet.

Maddy tugs on his arm. "Come on, Henry. I promise I'll be by your side at all times."

Henry takes a deep breath. "I feel like I'll make you fall."

Maddy pulls him out onto the rink. "You'll be fine. Just take little steps."

Henry almost immediately falls, pulling Maddy down with him. She strides out and keeps her hand on his arm. "Little steps didn't work, Mad."

Maddy laughs. "It's not that difficult, Henry."

"Well, yeah, little-miss-figure-skater, of course it's not difficult for _you."_ Henry takes a deep breath. "I'm not good at this."

Maddy sighs heavily and tugs Henry towards the wall. "Come on, let's get on the wall. Switch sides with me."

Henry stares at her like she's grown three heads, but he decides that it's better to trust her. Once he's on her right, she laces her fingers through his.

She squeezes his hand. "I've got you."

Henry licks his lips and blows out a breath of hot air, a puff of white smoke blowing out in front of him. "Isn't that my thing?" he asks her nervously.

Maddy pulls his hand up to her lips and presses a kiss to his knuckles. "Well, you've got me most of the time. When I'm tired or scared or stressed out. It's only fair that I return the favor this time."

Henry smiles softly at her. "I don't deserve you."

Maddy smiles back at him. "Of course you do." She nods towards the wall. "Put your hand out towards the wall to steady yourself."

Henry clutches her hand tighter and keeps skating. His movements are wobbly. "I still don't get how you used to figure skate."

Maddy twists on her skates so that she faces Henry and skates backwards. "Just keep your eyes on me." She holds her hands out, her fingers brushing against his. "Follow me exactly."

Henry gulps. "I'm going to fall."

Maddy keeps her eyes on his and shakes her head. "No, you won't. You won't fall."

Henry nods. "Yes, I will."

Maddy shrugs. "I fell a lot when I was a little girl. The bruises hurt for a little while, but it's alright."

Henry looks around, and his movements become shakier. "Maddy, this makes me nervous."

Maddy twists her lips. "Well, you like roller skating, don't you? This is just like that."

"Just on thinner blades that make it easier to fall," Henry grumbles.

Maddy squeezes his fingers. "Well, after this, we can go get some hot chocolate," she slows down and twirls her finger around the fringe of his scarf, "and maybe make out…"

Henry raises his eyebrows. "I'm listening."

Maddy pushes away from him. "But you've gotta skate towards me."

Henry whines. "But Mad–" The edge of his blade catches on the ice, and he falls forward. He sticks his hands out to break his fall. His wrist bends unnaturally, and he grits his teeth against the pain.

Maddy skates forward and kneels in front of him. "You've got to get up, honey. You'll never learn if you don't try."

Henry groans and stands up shakily. "If I had been leaning on you –"

Maddy holds her hands out in case Henry falls again. "If you had been leaning on me, you still wouldn't have learned how to skate. It's why parents have to step away from their child and let their kid come to them."

Henry rolls his eyes. "Are you waxing philosophic right now?"

Maddy smiles and skates away from him – near enough that she can catch him if he falls, but far enough away that he has to move towards her. "I'm just saying that a baby will never learn how to walk if their parents don't distance themselves a little bit. You're going to have some falls, but that's just part of the learning experience."

Henry sighs and nods, and he skates after her. He hates how most of the little kids can skate better than him, but he keeps his eyes on his girlfriend. Her nose is cherry red from the cold, and one of his hats covers her ears. She's certainly dressed in fewer layers than him, as if this cold means almost nothing to her. But when he stumbles again, this time maintaining his footing, she smiles brightly at him, and he can feel his insides warm.

"You know, Mad, you remind me of California spring," he says, straightening up. He skates more confidently, though still wobbly, striding out to get closer to Maddy.

Maddy tilts her head. "Oh? How so?"

Henry shrugs. "I don't know. It's just…maybe it's because you have blonde hair, but your smile is a lot like what the sun feels like on a spring morning, and you're so warm to be around."

Maddy's smile grows bigger. "I'm glad you think so."

Henry's eyes travel over her body. "Do you remember how to do a spinning thingie?"

Maddy purses her lips and furrows her brow. "I think so. Let me try." She pushes off the wall and skates backwards, picking up speed. The other skaters move away from her and watch her movement.

Henry leans against the wall, his eyes trained on her. She moves like it's a dance, like it's as natural to her as breathing. She kicks up from the ice, spins twice in the air, and lands perfectly on the rink, letting her momentum carry her backwards.

Henry whistles and claps his hands, encouraging her to do more. She glances over her shoulder and laughs before bending her head back and spinning in a tight circle. As she spins around and around, she lowers her body and stretches out her leg, and then she spins back to a standing position.

He has no idea how she's not dizzy.

She skates back to him and grabs his hands. "Come on!" she laughs. "Just do what I do!"

Henry sighs and gives in. He knows her. He knows that she's not going to make him do the jump thingie that makes him breathless to watch.

She turns around and skates in the same direction he does, twirling once.

Henry thinks it's simple enough, so he tries. He may nearly fall flat on his face onto her blade, but he catches himself before he does, and Maddy laughs again, stopping short. Her face glows, and Henry can't help but think she looks ethereal as her breath puffs out in front of her and as her cheeks turn pink.

Henry shakes his head. "You're breathtaking," he says. "Absolutely stunningly breathtaking."

Maddy's smile softens, and she skates closer to him, cupping his face with one of her hands. "Skate with me."

Henry nods, resting his forehead against hers. "As long as you promise to go easy on me."

As Maddy skates backwards, slowly this time, and as Henry skates with her, she presses her lips to his. Her lips are cold but somehow full of sunshine, and Henry presses one hand to her shoulder blade. He doesn't trip at all.

It's the best kiss he's ever had.


End file.
